Tag: self love

Sep30

Peace Begins with Me

by Cheryl Brewster

Audio File Prayer of ReconciliationNational Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Each year, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day honours the children who never returned home and Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process.

As individuals, it can be difficult to know what one person can do. The pain is so great. As I pondered what can I do today, I was inspired to create an audio of the Ho’Hoponono prayer for the survivors of the residential schools, and the deep suffering that has plagued humanity throughout history. This prayer technique is from a legendary Hawaiian method of healing and purification that is centred on self-love as a means of healing.

Ho’oponopono means doing something right or putting something right – it stems from “Ho’o” doing something and “Pono” balancing out or the path to perfection. It’s about taking personal responsibility for not only my own actions, but for how I deal with everything that crosses my path. As I clean up any aggression inside myself, my outside world returns to order, because it is an expression of what is going on inside me. Prayer is the first step.  Contributing in more physical ways is the next.

From my heart to yours, thank you for considering this prayer as a means of contributing to the healing of humanity. Healing and peace, begin with me. Click here to listen or download.

More information on the prayer:
The prayer came to me through the story of a therapist who achieved miraculous healing outcomes at a Hawaiian state hospital through the use of four simple affirmations. Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, a spiritual practitioner well-versed in the ancient art of Ho’oponopono shared this legendary Hawaiian method of healing and purification, is centered on the concept of self-love as a means of healing.

Dr. Hew Len meticulously reviewed the files of each patient at the mental hospital he worked in. He didn’t meet the patients, as he perused their records, he intoned a specific mantra for each individual file: “I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.” He repeated this process consistently for months. Patients who had previously been restrained were granted their freedom, while others were gradually weaned off their medications. Eventually, all the patients experienced healing and were reintegrated into society.

What makes Dr. Hew Len’s approach intriguing is that he did not request the patients to recite the mantra themselves. Instead, he held the belief that, as individuals interconnected by a shared energy, we possess the capacity to influence this energy either positively or negatively for others. He believed that our actions and intentions have the power to attract healing. Thus, by choosing to focus on the one aspect he could control—himself—his humility ultimately facilitated the healing of those connected to him, in this instance, his patients. While this concept may seem radical and almost implausible to many, it has been profoundly transformative for many, including me.

May each one of us be inspired, to continue to “feel to heal,” and do our part to embody a consciousness that transforms pain into peace. Our continuation as a species demands it, our divinity directs it, and our willingness to forgive and be forgiven ensures it.

 

Sep30

Fearless Action to Master Change

by Cheryl Brewster

Take Action!

What wants to move through you? That idea or project that is relentless in its pursuit of your attention and call to action. The one that keeps tapping at your shoulder, yelling in your ear and tugging at your heart… the one that says if you don’t slow down and really look at this, you’ll continue down the slippery slope of unachieved goals, regret and unexpressed creativity.

In her seminal book “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway,” Susan Jeffers provides a powerful, clear strategy for turning pain into power. Her bottom line is that the only way to get rid of the fear of doing something is to go out and do it! So why don’t we? I love her two-fold answer… the first is education (you didn’t learn the facts about fear); the second is the reminder that every time you feel afraid, that it’s simply because you are not feeling good enough about yourself.

The  interplay here between intuition and self esteem makes sense.  Intuition is the driving need for self expression; it’s also the path through fear that takes us from pain to power.  The heart knows the way…the heart always feels good about itself… in fact it can never not feel good about itself because it’s the very essence of life,  limitless in its power. Intuition then, uses the power of the heart to shore up where we don’t feel so great about ourselves so we can move forward into action!

So how do we overcome fear and take action to follow the heart, and honour those intuitive impulses? As Jeffers brilliantly counsels:

  1. Reframe fear
    Remind yourself that when you feel fear, it’s because you’re not feeling good about yourself….Fear then, can be seen as a useful marker, pointing the need and path to higher self esteem.
  1. Decide that “I’ll handle it” is your new (and only) life perspective.
    When fear becomes a habit, we’ve allowed “less than” beliefs or helplessness to feel stronger than the reality of our capability and  infinitely powerful essence . When you decide that no matter what happens, “I’ll handle it,” fear dissolves!
  1. Take Action
    Feeling good follows action – too often we reverse the process thinking that when we feel better, then we will act.  The opposite actually is true. Whether it’s massive action, or one tiny step, the truth is, that nothing will change without taking action.
  1. Measure results with a pain to power chart.
    Check-in daily  to see if you’re moving on the chart from pain to power. If you’re not, it’s because you’re not taking responsibility for that area of your life.
  1. Practice the ABCs of Intuition.
    Aware, Breathe, Connect – this simple 3-step process is the link between self esteem and action.  AWARE of the power within that’s stronger than any obstacle; BREATHE that power in and CONNECT to the heart – it knows the way…. we can trust ourselves and the process of life…. we can drop self doubt and take action from an inspired, empowered place. Self love steps out into action, no problem!

If you have a calling or intuition that you know you’re not following through on as completely as you could, ask yourself why you’re resisting or delaying. You’ll get an immediate answer. Now what is one small thing that you can do to move yourself from the pain to power chart?  Do that thing… the highest form of integrity is the noble task of honoring what wants to move through you.

If you enjoyed this blog or would like to share the results of what you learned and applied, email us! We’d love to hear from you and celebrate the success you are creating! If you are not already a subscriber to our daily quote of inspiration, be sure to sign up.

Cheryl Brewster of The Intuitive Life is a personal and business intuitive, specializing in self development through mastering change.

 

 

 

Jun30

Self Love – The Courageous Choice for Results in Life and Business

by Cheryl Brewster

What builds or destroys your relationships at home and in business?
What totally transforms how you “do” life, especially behind the scenes where no one sees you or knows what you’re really thinking?
What is your foundation, touchstone or immovable center point during times of intense challenge, emotional “spin cycles” and piercing disappointment or grief?

The answer of self love is obvious… but it takes outrageous courage to truly practice it. Today’s message is that we can do it and we must do it! Yes, ongoing improvement strategies at home and in business are important, but the first one is self love…. without self love, it doesn’t matter how educated, talented or skilled we are, we’re not going to enjoy our experiences and it’s guaranteed, that those around us won’t either. Self love takes the whole idea of  prosperity to a whole new level. (How many super stars have bottomed out at the peak of their careers? Too many to mention…. without self love we can easily fall prey to influences that don’t have our best self interests at heart).

So what can we do to build awareness of this primary component of emotional intelligence?

1. Think of someone that is super important to you, someone you love… what are your greatest hopes and wishes for them? Are you allowing yourself those very things in your own life? If not, are you willing to slow things down to make room for this new mindset and follow-through with persistent, ” thought diligence”?

2. Again, thinking of this person that you love… what would make it easier for this person to live a happy life? Again, are you making those same choices for yourself? What old thoughts would you need to drop and what new thoughts would you need to employ?

3. In knowing what you need to do in your life… can you accept, allow and forgive yourself for the times you don’t do those things? Can you see how self love can be a strategy to free up the energy, to do the things you’ve been avoiding and make them more palatable? Can you begin with noticing current bad habits and understand the need they are trying to fill? Would you be willing to let them be filled in more productive/destructive ways?

4. What authentic leader most inspires you? How would they handle a current challenge you’re having? What self talk would they be giving to themselves?

Healthy Self Love is the ultimate effective business tool; you can “feel” the vibe when someone really loves themselves and what they do… you can also feel it when they don’t. Self loving individuals are the leaders that people love to work for, the parents that truly get what’s most important and come from those priorities. Self loving men and women are brave enough to make their happiness the priority; they’re grounded, strong, integrity-based visionaries. They help others see what they cannot see for themselves.

Self Love is the ultimate relationship tool; it heals the wounded parts in ourselves and others by making good use of the triggers that set us off so we can re-frame to evolve them.

Self Love says that no matter what’s going on, we’ll be able to handle it.
Self Love takes baby steps… it reminds us that Rome wasn’t build in a day and asks us why we insist that it was, when our adrenaline junkie takes over.
Self Love has the courage to face conflict, set healthy boundaries, speak up when it’s important, and stand down when it’s appropriate.

Self Love forgives the past and puts its attention on what’s most important… an empowered awareness of NOW.

See what you don’t like about your life… and love yourself anyway… it’s the only way to create the change you’ve longed for. Will you?

If you enjoyed this blog post, you’ll enjoy learning more about Cheryl Brewster and her coaching program “Spa for the Soul” that takes empowered thinking to a whole new level. For your complimentary overview of how this can apply to current challenges in your life… contact us and quote “Self Love”

Feb13

How do I love Me? Let Me Count the Ways!

by Cheryl Brewster

Do you love yourself as much as you wish to be loved?
Do you gift yourself the nurturing that you most crave?
Do you allow yourself to receive even when it feels uncomfortable?
Are you willing to be present with your pain and let blame go?

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Rumi

While Valentines is traditionally for lovers and romance, Rumi’s quote invites introspection whether you are in a romantic relationship or not. Are you willing to find the barriers within that prevent love’s full experience?

In my mentoring with clients and in my own life, the significance of self-love is HUGE! We live in a society that is rush, rush, rush…. I’m beginning to believe that the highest form of self-love is extricating ourselves from the death grip of frantic, frenetic over commitments and schedules. To that end, Valentines becomes a very important Self-Love Day:

1. What can I give myself today, that contributes to my own self acceptance?
2. Imagine never saying an unkind thing to yourself again! What would that do to your outlook?
3. Tap even more to the divine mind within. What’s there? What’s life like from this expanded perspective? What would the goddess/god within say to you about you?
4. What regret or judgment can you let go of, to love yourself/others more fully?
5. If you had no barriers to loving yourself/others, how would that change your perception of “reality?”
6. What is that rare, unique quality within you that you have been shy of sharing? Could you share a bit of it today in celebration of the Love you have for you, for the sheer joy of life itself?

Mindfulness this Valentine’s:
1. Being present with your experience without judging it.
2. Paying attention in a particular way.
3. Being on Purpose

Happy Valentines to your Inner Lover… when we move to the divine heart within, we let go with more ease, release the need to control, we give ourselves the most amazing gift of all….

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” Rumi

What does a soul-centred relationship, business, daily schedule look like? We’ll know by how much joy runs through it. We’ll know by how much we’re trusting our soul’s voice, and acting on our intuition.

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